“Rick had a tremendous run for us in our season-four welterweight tournament, and I was really looking forward to seeing him back in this tournament,” Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney stated. “Unfortunately, Rick suffered an injury that will keep him out for a few months, and I expect him back with Bellator in short order. I know Chris is going to come into this tournament hungry, and his fight with Ben should be a great one on Sept. 10 live on MTV2.”

The 31-year-old Hawaiian carries a five-fight win streak into the contest, and all five of those wins have come via stoppage. Additionally, the striking specialist also boasts a 9-0 record as a boxer and an 18-2 mark as a kickboxer.

Cisneros and Saunders meet in the opening-round of the eight-man tournament, which kicks off at Bellator 49 on Sept. 10 at Caesars Atlantic City in New Jersey.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for me, and I’m looking to make some noise in this tournament,” Cisneros stated. “It’s always a tough thing to see another fighter go down because of injury, but it happened, and now I have a chance to fight for an unbelievable promotion like Bellator.”